Trump says his patience with Putin is running out

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., 15 August, 2025
Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin was wearing thin, although he stopped short of threatening further sanctions over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

When asked if his patience with Putin had run out, Trump replied: "Yeah. It’s sort of running out and running out fast."

In an interview with Fox News, Trump acknowledged his long-standing good relationship with Putin but expressed frustration over his failure to bring the war to an end.

"We're going to have to come down very, very strong," he said, mentioning sanctions on banks and oil as possible measures, along with tariffs, though he stressed that European countries needed to join in.

"But I've already done it. I've done a lot," Trump noted, pointing out that India, one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, was facing a 50% tariff on its exports to the U.S.

"That's not an easy thing to do. That’s a big deal and it causes a rift with India," he explained on the "Fox & Friends" programme. "And remember, this is more of a European problem than ours."

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